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Polynesian Cultural Center: Alii Luau
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 5 pm - 7 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Touristy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
27 reviews for Polynesian Cultural Center: Alii Luau
Review Highlights
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"...the luau separate from the tours/Ha Breath of Life Show." In 2 reviews -
"must see if you go to the Polynesian center." In 2 reviews -
"...feature dances and customs from all the different islands." In 3 reviews
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27 reviews in English
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Review from Xiomara R.
San Francisco, CA
3/15/2012
Easily the dinner highlight of our trip. After a day of touring the area, we sat down for our expected feast and weren't disappointed.
The food itself was grade A. The pork, which they do the whole fire pit thing for, was amazing... the best we have ever had. The fish was also great, while the taro bread was more than just a novelty as it was delicious. The meal was a little slow to start, and the deserts a little disappointing, but the main meal delivered and let you go back freely to stock up on more food (a great feature for the male portion of this review team and his bottomless stomach).
The entertainment during the feast wasn't particularly memorable, but did add to the enjoyment and made the whole meal that much better.
Overall, pricey, but highly recommended for anyone doing a first time tourist trip to the area as it grants a great sampling of some more exotic types of food they might not be familiar with. -
Review from Megan F.
New York, NY
4/7/2012
I went to this luau several years ago. It was horrible.
First of all, I knew this was a Mormon-run luau, and there would be no booze. Fine. As we sat down at the crowded tables, and pitchers of room-temperature soda were brought out, I also realized there would be no caffeine in this camp.
The food was beyond horrible. Sure, made a show of putting a pig to roast in a pit, on stage. But this is certainly not the pork being served on the buffet. I can't remember all the details, but trust me. It was bad. -
Review from Stefanie M.
Atlanta, GA
3/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
This review is for the Luau, NOT the PCC or Ha.
I just don't get it. How can the PCC, whose mission is to help preserve and perpetuate the more ideal aspects of Polynesian culture, put on this shamefully ridiculous luau and claim it's the "the best luau in Hawaii"? The PCC is great and does great work educating Polynesian students and giving out scholarships, the show Ha is also great, but this luau is a slap in the face to the supposed mission statement of the PCC, presenting Polynesian culture as a cheesy caricature and ridiculous over the top stereotype. It went against everything we had learned about Hawaiian/Fijian/Polynesian culture the whole day.
I was not expecting good food, it's a buffet for 200+ people, I know the food is mass produced, bland and sucks. But the SHOW, OMG, the Chinese kid doing the hula with a voice over from the cheeseball host is really NOT adding authenticity to my dry Mormon luau. If William Shatner were a car salesman, and Hawaiian, he would be our luau emcee.
It was so horrific, all I wanted was a drink to make it all go away, but wait, the place is run by the church of latter day saints, so it's as dry as a popcorn fart on the entire property, which just added to the humiliation.
So my advice is
1. Go to PCC spend the day there - it is a neat place.
2. Flask it.
3. DO NOT purchase a Luau at the PCC, it's ridiculous.
4. See Ha: breathe of life and enjoy a good show.Listed in: Aloha!
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Review from Barbara E.
Brighton, CO
3/26/2012
I did enjoy the lei greeting & picture prior to entering the Luau. Aside from that, it was all downhill.
Too many people with not enough buffet lines. There appeared to be 4 different (same food) lines, yet we seemed to spend a lot of time waiting in line. With two little kids that was very difficult. They either need to create two separate Alii Luaus, add more lines (not possible with the lack of space), or sell less tickets to the luau. Please, do SOMETHING about this. We felt like sardines in a can!
The way the tables are crammed together and the randomness of stairs throughout the venue make it very dangerous to juggle full plates, find your spot, all while guiding your kids with full plates--trying to all make it back to the table in one piece.
There were "servers" who came by to check drinks and sell you more stuff--special smoothies and such. I saw them refilling waters at other tables but we seemed to desperately need a refill forever without getting one.
Entertainment--not exciting.
The food is quite disappointing. For the price they charge, it HAS to be better than this! I'm no ignorant tourist--I grew up on Oahu, lived there for 18 years, moved away to the Continental US, and returned for a visit with my kids who have never been to Hawaii. I know good Hawaiian food. This was a terrible disappointment. The Kalua pork was poor. Seriously--I remember my public elementary school lunch kalua pork being better than this. My husband said the fish was okay. Poke was meh. Green salad was disgusting. I can't say I had something that was better than good. I was looking forward to the dessert as I figured no one could mess up Haupia (coconut pudding). Yet, the PCC (of all places) made the nastiest coconut pudding I have ever had. Terribly terribly disappointing.
My husband started to have tummy troubles after eating here that didn't resolve for a few days. Not so fun to end out your vacation that way.
For awesome authentic Hawaiian food for a fraction of the price, visit Ono's Hawaiian food near Waikiki. It's not touristy at all--there's no hula dancers, and it's a hole-in-the-wall. But it is the best Hawaiian food gets. And you'll save a ton of money.
If I come back to the PCC, I'd rather eat dinner at McDonalds adjacent to the parking lot than pay the $$$$ to eat at the Alii Luau. -
Review from Helen S.
11/28/2011
The Polynesian Cultural Center is supposed to have the best luau and I can see why. If you're not expecting to be in Hawaii very much and you are would like to attend a luau, this is the one to choose because you'll get the entire experience.
The Hawaiian food is delicious, the service is good, and the show had an entertaining storyline and was a grand performance. You really feel like you're a part of something when you're watching it. -
Review from Brandon B.
Lynnwood, WA
Updated - 3/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
We did receive a refund for two dinners, around $50. The manager who called me from Hawaii was very courteous, and made multiple attempts to reach me as I was on business. He addressed all of my concerns and was respectful of my opinion. Excellent customer service, especially for a tourist place that perhaps doesn't rely on repeat business as much. The show after dinner was entertaining. I appreciate the commitment to service but I stick to the "this food was crap" review. It certainly isn't what I would do when I go to Hawaii. In fact, I would skip Oahu entirely, there are much better islands in the chain.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/12/2011
This place sucks! The poi had the most flavor. Kahlua pork was soggy and tasteless, lomi salmon… Read more »
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Review from Heather P.
San Francisco, CA
7/27/2011
Polynesian Cultural Center has got the best show that Oahu offers in my honest opinion. You can decipher all the different dances from all the different islands so much better here.
A must see! -
Review from Heidi K.
11/13/2011
I am so happy to see that I can review the luau separate from the tours/Ha Breath of Life Show.
All I can really say is both my husband and I are violently sick today, and we went last night. Fortunately, we live here and can spend our Sunday sitting on the couch writhing in pain, however, if you are a tourist and trying to enjoy the beauty that Oahu has to offer, I would hate for you to have an opportunity to eat better food that won't have you strapped to your toilet the next day. Some people wait their whole lives to come to Hawaii ONCE... why waste your day trying not to crap all over the place when you could have gone somewhere with better food that won't leave your stomach in knots?
The selection was not that great. Generally, the food and show at Germaine's Luau was better, but the dessert bar had a wide variety of generally good desserts. The keiki dancers were so adorable.
The only thing I can say that I LOVED was their smoothies in a pineapple. They were really cute, and at 1 for ten or 2 for fifteen, we tried the pina colada and strawberry. They were adorable! -
Review from C. M.
Honolulu, HI
1/27/2012
This is for the buffet inside the PCC. Its gross. No one in my party liked any of the food. It was old tasting and flavorless. Yuck. Way over priced too.
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Review from Anita L.
9/12/2011
Meh... 2.5 stars from me, but since I liked PCC so much, I decided to go with 3 stars.
I got the Alii Luau as part of my Circle Island + Luau + Show package. If I am comparing this to the prior luaus I have been to, this is bad. But if you are looking at this Alii Luau as a Dinner Buffet with performers on stage, then it's okay.
Food was okay, nothing too special. Since it's college students serving at the luau, there's no alcohol at PCC (even during the luau). -
Review from Audrey L.
7/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
I would say that this is a def. must see if you go to the Polynesian center.
The Center offers you I believe two or three places to dine for dinner. This one has a great show and the food is really good.
It's probably better to purchase the dinner with the entrance tickets and the tickets to the show, so that you wouldn't have to run back to the front and purchase them again.
Happy Eatings! =]Listed in: Hawaii
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Review from Christine L.
San Francisco, CA
8/12/2011
Like so many others, I often wish that Yelp would allow for half stars but I can see why they keep it simple.
Because the Husband and I got the Ambassador package, we were quickly ushered in the short line and were promptly seated. The emcee was pretty cheesy, kind of like William Shatner in Miss Congeniality. You can order soft drinks from the many servers who flit around or smoothie drinks. They put a special colored flag on your chair to let the others know what you've ordered.
Because all of the waitstaff are college students, the PCC Luau has a no-alcohol policy.
Before you can eat, there are a couple of mini presentations with small children coming out to show you what you can taste and the emcee explaining how things work and then two strapping youths ceremonially take out a pig that has been cooking in the traditional way and walk away with it.
They let you get your food from the two large buffet stations located behind all of the tables in groups, depending on where you're sitting. We got to get our food pretty quickly and there was a lot of it. Kalua pig, tuna poke, rice and poi, among other things. The food is plentiful and the kalua pig is good. At the end, they bring out large platters of semi-ok desserts (they weren't the best) and then everyone is directed to go to the Ha Breath of Life show.
During the luau, they have a few more presentations, like a royal court showing, a hula competition and then they ask honeymooning or anniversary-ing couples to come onto the stage. They asked how long people had been married and then made them dance to a special song. The Husband and I did not go up there as we are painfully embarrassed by things like that but it was sweet to see an old couple who had been married over 50 years.
All in all, if luau you must, this is an ok one to see and you can hit the PCC on the same day. -
Review from Caitlin L.
Kailua, HI
6/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
I wish I could separate my reviews into two parts, because the dinner and the show deserve different reviews and ratings, but alas, I'll cram it into one and average the score!
We went here for a ladies' night while some out-of-state friends were visiting. We arrived around 500p for dinner buffet and the Ha show that was starting at 730p. So, we had pre-purchased tickets, but had to pick them up at will call. I don't know if it was amateur night or what? but it was such a clusterf**k in that line, that by the time we finally got to dinner, most of the food was gone! This included the diet Pepsi and the sushi...pretty much the 2 things I wanted! Boo! Their desserts were pretty tasty though!
The night show, Ha! Breath of Life, was a different story! We paid a little extra to upgrade our seats and they were phenomenal. I highly recommend paying extra for better seats if possible. The closer you can get to those tan, sweaty, shirtless men...the better! Yum!! :) The show is a journey around the Polynesian islands through a young man's coming of age. They feature dances and customs from all the different islands. I think one of our favorite parts was going down and meeting the dancers afterwards. They're all so friendly and will take great pics with you!
Highly recommended if you have family or friends visiting out of state! -
Review from Molly T.
Los Angeles, CA
12/8/2011
No. Won't support a business (owned by LDS) who funds taking rights away from others ...
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Review from Shannon B.
1/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
The luau had great selections of traditional fare, pleasant dinner entertainment and nice atmosphere. Not an experience that needs to happen with every visit to Oahu but definitely worth checking our once or twice.
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Review from Jason G.
The food was pretty good and exceeded expectations, albeit originally low expectations. It's just a large buffet and the entertainment is okay. It just doesn't have that authentic or exciting feel that a smaller and stand alone luau has versus having this one added on to the PCC day.
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Review from Anu M.
12/28/2011
The Ali'I Lu'au Dinner is from 5pm to 7pm and it is a traditional Polynesian dinner, which includes pork cooked in an imu (an underground oven). The dinner is accompanied by live music and hula dance. The buffet included taro rolls, kalua pork, teriyaki chicken, fish, rice, salads and desserts. The food was horrendous, I would not recommend the Ali'I Lu'au dinner at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Waste of time and money!
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Review from Alicia A.
Contra Costa, CA
Is this is such a generic luau experience. I was so unhappy with my "Hawaiian Luau." The food was ok, nothing special or great. It seems like a Hawaiian version of Hometown Buffet. Sucks. Waste of money!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Review from Alison V.
9/4/2009
Good food. Melt in your mouth pork. Poke. Salmon. Salad. Taro roles. Teriyaki chicken. Fish. Beef jerky, which was so fresh it doesn't even seem like jerky. Fresh fruit.
Buffet style all you can eat. Great entertainment. Listen for Uncle Bennys version of Louis Armstrong's, "It's a Wonderful Life." You'll be impressed.
Dessert a bit disappointing but yummy. Coconut cake. Coconut pudding. Chocolate cake.
Worth the drive out here and experiencing the rest of PCC.Listed in: Vacation to Oahu!
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Review from Fiona C.
Camarillo, CA
9/7/2011
I would like to correct reviewer Christine regarding the no alcohol policy. It is not because the servers are college students, it is because Mormons generally condemn the consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Other than that, I agree with most of the reviewers who say that the luau experience at the PCC is a wonderful one, as well as the show that follows. The show has changed over the years, and it is still very entertaining. No, the food at the luau is not gourmet, but it is very authentic, and I agree that the desserts are not the greatest, but it's not really the most important part of the experience and definitely forgivable. -
Review from Dexter C.
Honolulu, HI
9/6/2011
Go with us to the Great Polynesian Center as we watch the performers go through their demonstration of the traditions of their culture, the way they live, climbing trees for coconuts, making poi, cooking the pig, the dances ,Lighting the torches, for dinner, the styles of dances the lauau, with the great feast or shop in their store, as to the many performers are at time The Mormons of BYU that train with the islanders from the Polynesian islands, Samoa, and Tahitee or many others - so welcome to the Visitors and a great Aloha (Please come again and tell your friends how you enjoyed your stay)! Dexter C.
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Review from Michael J.
San Francisco, CA
1/5/2009 9 photos
I've never been to a luau before in my life, but I'm very impressed with this touristy geared luau. As being part of the Polynesian Cultural Center, the Luau is an experience that you must partake if you've never experienced oen before. This is where the unexperienced become experienced. The dining hall is outdoors but is covered by a huge canopy. There are many tables and people dining here are excused a couple tables at a time as to not overwhelm the lines at buffet.
The luau is basically a show, so you arrive at your specified time and everyone sits down. You are then introduced by an emcee and the emcee will guide you in the overall experience. There is live music and entertainment while you dine and you are free to leave the dining hall whenever you want. The food is not amazing, but it is pretty good and combined with the entertainment and music it is pretty darn awesome. Oh yea one more thing, the marinated chicken is so good... grab a couple before sitting down.
I highly recommend the Luau, but you can only dine here if you purchase the Luau or Ambassador Luau packages. There are other luau packages, but I'm pretty sure the food and the entertainment is similar to that of the Ali'i Luau with exception to prime rib and crab legs of course. -
Review from Austin L.
Santa Cruz, CA
8/7/2011
worst food ever, the ticket booth was very pushy trying to make us upgrade are package. the show was just bad, college level at best.
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Review from Asha S.
San Francisco, CA
3/28/2010 7 photos
The food was alright - some okay, some better than others, a few good..... However, if you've never been to a luau, you must go to this one. It's a lot of fun!
There was a great deal of food (and a few yummy fish dishes I can't quite remember well enough to describe anymore), but the ones that were most memorable:
* POKE - 5/5 [It's raw, prepared with soy sauce and a little seaweed... and so good I went for seconds.]
* POI - 2/5 [Traditional staple made of taro that needs to be eaten with meat or something else. Starchy...... not the best thing in the world, although I hear it's healthy.]
* KALUA PUA'A - 3.5/5 [Roast pork - wasn't such a huge fan of this one, but the boy seemed to like it a lot.]
* TERIKAYI CHICKEN - 3.5/5 [This isn't really anything unique, and their teriyaki chicken was, IMO, slightly under seasoned that day..]
* CHICKEN LONG RICE - 3.5/5 [I used to have varities of these as a kid, and the ones I remember tasting back in the day was a little better than this one..]
* TARO ROLL - It's a roll.. so I won't rate it. However, it was fun to watch the boy freak out at the sight of "purple bread"..
* HAUPIA - 5/5 [I've always loved these custard-like dessert made of coconut cream... and I loved them that night, too.]
This one was definitely geared towards tourists.. though sliiiiiiiightly less so than the ones I remember being dragged to when I went to Hawai'i at 12 and 13.. I'm determined to go to a REAL luau on my next trip there. For now, though, if you're visiting Hawai'i - make sure you go to the one at the Polynesian Cultural Center!Listed in: Hawai'i
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Review from Christian W.
Laie, HI
1/7/2008
I have been to many luaus in Hawaii and must say that PCC's is the best since it is the only authentic Hawaiian Luau in the islands. Most luaus combine other cultures from the South Pacific in their entertainment. PCC doesn't have to because they have a big evening show right after their luau that features the other Polynesian cultures.
The Alii Luau is a convenient place to entertain friends and family. Just make sure you make your reservations in advance because during the busy season, they frequently sell out, even though they have 3 separate Luau venues.
My favorite Hawaiian food is the pork, laupia and pipi kaula (Hawaiian beef jerky). Go to the luau hungry because you can eat as much as you like. -
Review from D J.
Philadelphia, PA
4/8/2011
The food was pretty good. The show afterwards was totally awesome and entertaining. Super fun times at this place.
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Review from judy c.
Cerritos, CA
6/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
enuff said no comment must go and see =)
